Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy holiday Monday to all in the States! I hope you have been enjoying your three day weekend while honoring our fallen soldiers here is the US today.

I thought a quick post of some celebrity inspirational updo's would be the perfect way to start out this short week.

Love the raked back texture above. Violet, our hairstylist extraordinare for The Makeup Dolls, often gets requests like this for bridal styles and it is the perfect style to reflect a bit more edge or for a more modern take on a classic updo.

Braids are of course all the rage! They are super easy to incorporate in an updo to keep it perfectly current and fun!The messy, loose bun is probably our most requested style currently and you can see why above. It's fun, easy going and effortless looking. Not sure how many requests we will have for Gwen's hair, but I am certainly a fan!

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Shatter polish is really nothing new to those of us that remember crackle nail polish, oh about, 15 years ago or so, but textured polish is all the current rage. I saw this on the Huffington Post's Style Section and wanted to share....

Opi's Black Shatter polish was a hit of course and other companies followed suit like China Glaze: From left: Black Shatter by OPI, Lightning Bolt, Broken Hearted, and Cracked Concrete, all by China Glaze.

What do you think of the tweed look?From left: Brigitte, Veronica, Sophia, and Miss Wu, all shown with the Anna topcoat. From CND.

Rubber? I am not to sure about this one...From left: Retro Red, Viridian Vinyl, Old School Orange, and Purple Pleather, all by Orly.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Last night was the 2011 Billboard Awards and I had a hard time finding looks that I liked!
Let's start off with the good, my fave was Selena Gomez.

This cutie showed off her subtle ombre highlighted hair by smoothing it down for the night, which complemented her on trend cut out black gown. I also loved her large circular earrings, I adore anything large on the ears, the bigger the better! Her makeup was right up my alley. She chose to do a soft smoky eye, while adding a shimmer on the lid but used liner and it was smudged with a deep gray, I like Scene from MAC to create that look. Cheeks and Lip were a sweet nude pink which looks great with gray smoky eyes.

I also liked Rhianna's makeup, but not her hair! She chose a candy colored pink lip and cheek. As for her beautiful eyes, they were lined all around but then light shadows were used to add shading. I love either Texture and Malt from MAC to use in the crease without making a dark smokey eye. Using a warmer crease color really makes any eye pop.

My not so favorite look of the night was Fergie. Ladies, this is not the way to do a smoky eye! I like the under eye smudge but she overdoes it with too much black in the crease and not blending it. I get it, it's a look but not one that should be recreated in real life except her cheek and lip and tan...that is a great looking combination. xo, Violet

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

One of the questions asked most often by our clients is how to clean their makeup brushes? There are two ways to keep your investment of a great brush set well taken care of.

First is Brush Off ($9.00 for 2oz), this spray is the best on the market and I have used it for years to take care of my brushes. It is great because you can clean your brush and use it right away for your next color or client! Simply spray on a tissue and wipe your brushes back and forth on the tissue to remove any makeup.

Another way is to clean your brushes is by using a brush shampoo or a gentle face cleanser works well too! Washing your brushes can and should be done once a month to do a thorough cleansing. Use warm water with the soap, like Bare Escentuals Well-Cared For($14.00) and lay flat to dry on a paper towel overnight. Your brushes will thank you by helping you achieve a well blended makeup application.xo,Violet

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Violet and I are so fortunate to be able to work with such fantastic photographers! Our brides understand the value of talented photography which give us beautiful photos for our portfolio to display our work...in short, The Makeup Dolls = Lucky!

I about flipped when I was going through my blog roll this weekend and saw "The Makeup Dolls" under Elle Jae's Vendors We Love Section. What is better than mutual admiration! Check out Elle Jae's website if you are looking for that talented photography we were just talking about!

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

As professional makeup artists, Violet and I wash our brushes after each and every job. Some weeks we are doing ten jobs and let me tell you, that is a lot of brush washing! Personally I wash my brushes once a week but I would certainly wash them more often if they would dry in four to six hours rather than a day and a half. The importance of washing your brushes can not be understated. Bacteria and germs build up in dirty brushes and products just simply don't preform as promised when applied with dirty brushes. Come on ladies, how many of you rarely, if ever, wash your brushes?

Well Sigma to the rescue! Click the link below to learn more and watch the video...

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Can I say damn you BHLDN! Why weren't all of these little gems available when I got married....wedding decor remorse...wedding decor remorse....I have a bad case of it!Brides to be however click here to help yourself to all of the loveliness!

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Almost all, well all, actually of the women we apply TEMPTU airbrush foundation to when we do their makeup have never had their foundation applied with an airbrush machine.

A few years back Violet and I purchased our first TEMPTU machine after hours and hours of product research and haven't picked up a traditional foundation since! We found for our clients offering airbrush makeup was the only way to go. We could offer the best looking finish with the bare skin feeling. Doesn't this sound like the best of both worlds? Well it is. I suppose this is so important to me because a foundation that offers coverage while still looking and feeling light is paramount to me. I hate the look and feeling of a foundation that if you scratch your skin there will be a section of your "face missing". Not okay!

So what are you to do once you have your makeup done by The Makeup Dolls and we introduce you to this makeup (since really there is no going back)? Buy your own mini version and enjoy this beautiful makeup everyday!

The foolproof system allows you to snap on and off the various Makeup Air pods - including foundations, blushes and more.

From TEMPTU: Professional makeup artists have always turned to TEMPTU for unparalleled airbrush technology and flawless, superior-quality results. Finally in the comfort of your own home, you can easily achieve long-lasting pro results every day. The innovative TEMPTU® AIRbrush Makeup System's sleek, compact design delivers power and control, giving you steady, precise application that's completely adjustable and results that are truly flawless. The user-friendly instruction guide and how-to DVD will steer you in enhancing your complexion to its true flawless potential.

If you live near a Sephora go in and give it a try or schedule a makeup lesson with us at our new studio in San Mateo, CA.

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Friday, May 6, 2011

I am not the hairstylist in the family, Violet is, so when she isn't here to help me with my hair I like to spend a little time reading Hair Dresser on Fire's blog. Okay well, not spend a little time, I am a fan, follower with a case of the lovies for this fabulous gal, Reagan.

What I like most about HDOF are the video tutorials because anything I can see visually in motion is best for me, espcially when it comes to hair styling. Take a minute to check out her blog and videos. I am loving one of her latest videos on the halo braid (see it below)...now if I could just find the time to master all of the techniques I have learned, I would have one hot looking head of hair!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

I just had to repost a picture of a bride that we worked with this last weekend who chose Elle Jae as her photographer. It's titled "Bride on a swing"....LOVE!

Take a look at Elle Jae's website if you are looking for a photographer. This husband and wife team are supremely talented and their images are always counted among the best that we have in our portfolio!

xo,Indiana

The Makeup Dolls can be booked for bridal, engagement, boudoir, maternity and occasion makeup and hair. Please call 650.394.4942 or email us at info@themakeupdolls.com to contact Indiana and Violet.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Don't we all love shiny sexy hair? Well Tigi's Catwalk Your Highness Weightless Shine Spray will get you there. This weightless, fine mist will disperse over your tresses giving you shiny, flowing hair without weighing it down. And the best part? The scent, this stuff smells AMAZING! We can't get enough of it. Use it to finish up dos as well as your everyday style.